More photos can be viewed on my diary pages Aug 15 - 28: Click

DISNEYLAND - I assume that you know that we had been planning for five years this big return trip to the States which we did in Aug/Sept 1990. While the planning began months ahead, we tried to wing it most of the time and made it up as we went along. While we were welting at Honolulu for a plans change (at the wrong gate, but that's another story) David met the other percussionist in the Papakura city band. We arrived in LA at 5pm, got to the hotel at 6:40pm and since the 17 hour trip hadn't tired us out, we were at Disneyland by 8pm, in time for the night parade. I had been waiting for this moment for 10 years (last time we were at D'land) and I bought almost every single Goofy item that was for sale. Oh yeah, then there were the rides. Even though it was 10pm and not very large crowds, it was still half hour for the popular rides.

LA - Picked up the rental car the next morning and headed on out for a typical American breakfast. Then the nearest K-Mart for our big stock up. The clerk figured we must be from Australia. She said they often get foreigners and she can tell where they are from, based upon what items they buy. Swim in the old pool back at the hotel (we were paying for it, might as well use it). Ne and I went for a late-night round of putt-putt and she won. Tremendously beautiful and spectacular course, but really ridiculous greens. Almost every hole was inside the cone of a volcano. I would just go up one side and then down the other. But I got three holes in one - you figure it.

SAN DIEGO - Next day we headed south figuring that we would escape the smog. No. The whole coast down to Mexico was saturated. All of us were suffering with burning eyes, sore throats etc... Only fresh air we got was at Oceanside where we stopped to stroll along the beach and pick up a Taco style lunch. Found the San Diego zoo. Noticed water running from under the car when we parked so I popped the hood just to make sure (we don't have air conditioned cars here). Lucky that I did that. Because we hung around the car long enough to discover the cigarette lighter cord for the VCR camera had shorted and started the carpeting smoldering, filling the car with smoke. I was able to stop it there, no flames. Would have put a bad crimp into the trip to have come out of the zoo and found our car and belongings in ashes.

TIJUANA - I went to America in search of Goofy. Gail was looking for leather. So we boarded the Little Red Trolley and headed for the border, walked across with ten thousand other like-minded tourists, zoomed to the markets in a death cab (much more exciting than any ride at Disney and one tenth the cost). Two hours later Gail walked back across the border with a leather jacket, purse and wallet. I had even found a hand-made Goofy marionette I thought that was last we'd see of Mexico. But on our way to Yuma, Arizona Gail took a wrong turn and by the time I figured that out we were almost at the border again. Some spectacular vistas on the way there (Yuma, not the border). The desert is not just sand, though we did see a few astoundingly high piles. Pulled into Yuma at 7:30pm just as the sun went down and it was a lovely 97° F. So it was into the pool for a long swim.

LAS VEGAS - One of the changes we made was to head up to Las Vegas where we met my mother, the perfect guide. She practically lives there. And I can verify that the woman does win. Almost every pull brought the coins out. What glamor? Pretty dull. Thousands of old people sitting and pulling, money falling but no scream of excitement. We made our way to the strip and took in Circus Circus and Mirage. And yes while Gail and I were losing our bankroll within minutes, my mother was breaking the bank - hit a jackpot.

PRESCOTT - We had to leave her there to continue winning and headed out the next day, stopping ever so briefly at Hoover Dam and then driving onto Prescott, Arizona. Prescott, home of many Minnesotans including Gail's folks. And now after a hectic week of being tourists we could at last sit back end take it easy, right? No, next day we are off to Phoenix. It's a two hour drive each way, and when we get there, we see maybe one-hundredth of it. Not much scenery in between either. Prescott is a mile high in mountains and there is some variation - cactii turn into trees. Had to get used to cactii in peoples yards as landscape. And crushed rock for lawns. The Town's yard backs onto a guIley and there are many trees and greenery complete with birds.. .quails and dozens of hummingbirds. In fact, it is so green in Prescott that even the lakes are green dried up and filled with grass. I suspect the water must come from the Colorado river so many miles away. A light drizzle is called the monsoons". It didn't rain while we were there, but we did see clouds one day and the humidity shot right up.

GRAND CANYON - We took a day trip to Grand Canyon and what can I say? Awesome. Inspiring. Ne, David and I want to go back and hike some of the trails. We stopped at as many lookouts as we could and covered almost all of the public spots. Being late August meant that the crowds were way down, but there were still enough to notice.

SEDONA - Next to Prescott, over the mountains, is historic Jerome, which once wee the capital of Arizona and center of gold mining. The town is built into the side of the mountain and is now touristy, artsy, antiquesy. We also visited "the rich and famous" hangout of Sedona. Some interesting scenery with its red earth outcroppings. So with that and the fact that Arizona has forests the size of Massachusetts, you soon discover that it is not the desert you imagined it to be.

PHOENIX - Joyce taught the family Pass Rummy and after a week of playing it-was time to move on. So after a game of putt-putt in 93 F heat of Phoenix we bid a teary farewell to Dick and Joyce at the airport and later that night had a warm welcome by my mother and brother in Minneapolis.